Cafe and restaurant in Portuguese
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Portuguese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Portuguese phrases in this lesson
- Uma mesa para dois, por favorOO-mah MEH-zah PAH-rah doysh por fah-VOR
- A table for two
- A ementa, por favorah eh-MEN-tah por fah-VOR
- The menu, please
- O que recomenda?oo keh reh-koh-MEN-dah
- What do you recommend?
- Não como...nown KOH-moo
- I don't eat...
- Sou alérgico a...soh ah-LEHR-zhee-koo ah
- I'm allergic to...
- CarneKAR-neh
- Meat
- FrangoFRAN-goo
- Chicken
- PeixePAY-sheh
- Fish
- Está deliciosoesh-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo
- It's delicious
- Saúde!sah-OO-deh
- Cheers
Standard opener when entering a restaurant. If you have a reservation, add "tenho reserva" (TEN-yoo heh-ZER-vah).
In European Portuguese the menu is "a ementa". The word "menu" is also understood but "ementa" marks you as paying attention to local usage.
A woman says "alérgica".
Frango piri-piri, grilled chicken with chili, is a Portuguese classic.
Grilled sardines in summer, salt cod all year.
Complimenting the food makes any host or chef happy. You can also say "está óptimo" (esh-TAH OT-ee-moo) meaning "it's excellent".
The Portuguese toast, literally meaning "health". Make eye contact with everyone at the table when you clink glasses.